The National Farmers Union (NFU) has released a revised growth strategy aimed at overcoming barriers to expansion within the UK horticulture sector. The strategy, originally launched in 2023 and updated in 2024, previously gained attention and commitments from the government during the Farm to Fork summits. The current Labour government's 25-year Farming Roadmap provides a fresh opportunity to realize this growth potential by addressing the ten outlined building blocks in the strategy.
Nfu Horticulture and Potatoes Board Chair Martin Emmett emphasized the sector's potential, stating, "For the UK to meet its food security and environmental targets, the government must act now to support the growth of domestic horticulture." He highlighted ongoing challenges such as cost inflation and unresolved post-election policy decisions affecting sector confidence.
The strategy identifies ten critical building blocks for industry growth. These include access to labor, with a call for a long-term commitment to the Seasonal Worker Scheme, ensuring suitable visas without unrealistic caps. Energy access is necessary, advocating for recognition of energy-intensive horticulture within support schemes and expanded grid infrastructure. Crop protection policies must enable access to essential plant protection tools, ensuring competitiveness. Water access remains critical, requiring investment in infrastructure for collection, storage, and distribution amid drought vulnerability.
Delivering environmental benefits involves revising schemes to include horticultural systems and collaborating on peat-free initiatives. Productivity investment calls for a replacement for the EU Fruit and Veg Aid Scheme, providing increased funding and access. Import controls require a renewed EU/UK SPS plant health agreement to minimize barriers and costs while maintaining biosecurity. Improving supply chain relationships involves addressing unfair practices through a statutory Horticulture Buyers' Code of Practice.
Farm assurance should be streamlined to reduce duplication and costs while meeting market needs. Planning policy should exempt glasshouses from biodiversity net gain and ensure consistent decisions supporting business growth.
Emmett noted that the previous government made commitments at Farm to Fork summits, and the new government has declared food security a national priority. However, he warned of stalled progress post-election, urging clarity on key policies like the Seasonal Worker Scheme and the Fruit & Veg Aid Scheme. "For the UK to meet its food security and environmental targets, the government must act now to support the growth of domestic horticulture," he reiterated.
Source: NFU